April 2014 Debut of the Month.
Set in a USA home for physically and mentally challenged children and told using the alternating voices of seven people (three are disabled youngsters, three are employees , and one is a recruiter trying to keep the place full) this grim, but at times funny, emotionally engrossing read will definitely leave its mark.
This powerful and inspiring character-based debut was the 2012 winner of Barbara Kingsolver's PEN/Bellwether Prize for fiction 12 months before it was actually published!
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
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Told in alternating perspectives by a varied and vocal cast of characters, Good Kings, Bad Kings pulls back the curtain to reveal the complicated, funny, and tough life inside the walls of ILLC - an institution for juveniles with disabilities. From Yessenia Lopez, who dreams of her next boyfriend, to Teddy, a resident who dresses up daily in a full suit and tie, and Mia, who guards a terrifying secret, Nussbaum has crafted a multifaceted portrait of a way of life hidden from most of us. In their alliances, the residents ultimately find the strength to bond together, resist their mistreatment, and fight back. Good Kings, Bad Kings is a powerful and inspiring debut about young people whose lives have been irreversibly changed by misfortune, but whose voices resound with resilience, courage, and humour.
Good Kings, Bad Kings features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Debut Books of the Month, General Fiction, Fiction, Recommendations, Romance / Relationship Stories
Good Kings, Bad Kings is available in Paperback, Ebook
Good Kings, Bad Kings was written by Susan Nussbaum and published by Oneworld Publications
Good Kings, Bad Kings has 319 pages
£8.09